Among those who gather with us on any given Saturday night or Sunday morning here at St. Bernadette Parish, there may be some who are searching for a church to call their own. Some are Catholic and have been coming here forever or they are new to the area and are trying to decide which parish to join. Others may not yet be a part of any church but are visiting different churches to find a community of faith that would accept them with open arms. Here at St. Bernadette we want their first visit to be a welcoming visit. We also want those that have been coming to this parish since birth to keep coming. They need to be greeted warmly every week. As a greeter, your impression made to all who walk through our door is a lasting “impression”. It is the first personal contact someone has with our parish. How that impression is made will determine whether that person will become a member of our parish or will walk away.

Contact: Loraine Simpson, Coordinator 513-797-0585

Eucharistic Ministers

Eucharistic Ministers assist with the distribution of the Body and Blood of Christ to fellow parishioners during weekend Masses and Holy Days of Obligation. Eucharistic Ministers also visit homebound parishioners on a regular basis, generally every Saturday evening or Sunday morning. The homebound may be a result of an accident, surgery, or chronic illness. Volunteers are needed if you would like to participate in this very rewarding ministry. Training is provided.

The lector is instituted to proclaim the readings from Sacred Scripture; when the lector reads, God is speaking to the assembly. He or she also leads the General Intercessions and makes parish announcements after Communion. Training is provided; careful preparation is expected.

Contact: Lisa Kuhn, Coordinator 513-535-0156

Music

Music does what words alone cannot do. It is capable of expressing a dimension of meaning and feeling that words alone cannot convey. There are many opportunities for music ministry at St. Bernadette. As a music minister you are offering your gift to the glory of God. Music also helps us give God thanks for all things at all times.

Our Choir/Ensemble sings at the 11:00 am Mass on Sundays, September through May. Generally extra people join the choir for Christmas and Easter. There is no audition necessary. We use piano/organ, guitars and bass and, as often as possible, flute. Practice is every Wednesday evening from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm in the church. We are always in need of new singers or instrumentalists. As the choir is called into action, they are invited into the act of evangelization. The adult choir is open to anyone 9th grade and older.

We have cantors at all Masses to sing the Responsorial Psalm. A cantor must be skilled as a vocal musician and also needs to be formed in liturgical aspects. When proclaiming the Responsorial Psalm, the cantor is also a minister of the Word. An audition is needed to become a cantor. There are several people who volunteer to sing at the 5:00 pm and 9:00 am weekend Masses. We welcome any interested in joining these smaller groups. In addition to Sunday Masses, music plays a role in all of the special liturgies throughout the liturgical year including Holy Days of Obligation, Confirmation, Baptism, First Eucharist, Funerals, Weddings, Reconciliation, Healing Masses and R.C.I.A.

Contact: Andrea Bridges, Music Director 513-753-5566.

Altar Servers

A reverent and attentive server helps Mass to be prayerful. Serving is a special and unique ministry in which you can help spread the word and love of Christ through your actions and words.

Anyone can be a server who has reached a 3rd grade level of education and above. Servers can be children or adults, male or female. Servers should be mature enough to understand their responsibilities and to carry them out well and with appropriate reverence. They should have already received First Eucharist for the first time and normally receive the Eucharist whenever they participate in the liturgy. Training is provided; servers are expected to keep their scheduled commitments.

Contact: Greg Roesel, Coordinator 513-797-8366

Ushers

Ushers are men and women with an important role. Besides taking up the offering in a reverent fashion and identifying suitable person to bring up the gifts, ushers are responsible for order and safety in and around the church building during Eucharist. They are prepared to act quickly in case of illness, fire or disruption and will call 911 as needed. Immediately after the Mass, two ushers secure the offering in the parish safe.